I went from a motorbike to a wheelchair

Born and bred in Ayr in 1966, I was your typical outdoors kid who enjoyed soccer, tennis, cricket, swimming and lifesaving. I was just months away from finishing a signwriting apprenticeship when my whole life changed.
Aged just 20, I was riding my motorbike home from work when I began overtaking a car that was turning right. I hit the car and landed head first in the gutter, smashing the fifth cervical vertebrae in my neck, which left me with complete quadriplegia below that level.

The next 10 months were spent in the Spinal Unit at Brisbane’s Princess Alexandra Hospital. In traction for the first three months, I then spent the remaining months receiving daily physiotherapy and occupational therapy.
It was like being a baby again; I had to relearn everything that had once been so easy. I have no feeling or movement below my nipple line, including no hand movement, weak wrist movement, no triceps function, weak bicep function and no feeling in the majority of my arms.

Most people don’t realise the full extent of how a spinal cord injury affects your body and how you go about your everyday life. Some people who see a person using a wheelchair immediately realise they can’t walk, but what they don’t realise is the countless other side effects of the injury.

If you have a spinal cord injury, you need assistance with everything from the time you wake in the morning, to the time you close your eyes at night.

I was an independent person before my accident, but have had to rely on someone else to assist me with everything for the past 22 years. I also have a number of other health issues that affect my life, but on the positive side, everything still operates fine above my shoulders.

Returning to Ayr following my rehabilitation in hospital, I married my fiancé Lisa in 1989. We had planned to have children but my spinal cord injury meant we needed to go through the In Vitro Fertilisation (IVF) program. Unfortunately this didn’t work for us, but we have seven wonderful nieces and nephews who we love dearly.
As a Member Networks Facilitator I am the local point of contact for Spinal Injuries Association members in North Queensland and the communication link between members, the Association and the local government, business and community.

Being a SEAT presenter is extremely rewarding as we share powerful information and injury prevention messages to children throughout Queensland. Since the program began 21 years ago, more than 1.2 million children have been inspired to practice safe behaviours.

Becoming a board member of the Spinal Injuries Association in 2002 followed a past role as Vice-President of the not-for-profit organisation. Today I still hold a position on the Association’s board and several other committees.

One of my favourite hobbies has always been fishing and when I had my accident I thought I would no longer be able to enjoy boating. However, after purchasing a pontoon boat that allows me to stay in my wheelchair on the boat and use an electric fishing reel, I can still reel in the big ones. I do need assistance with baiting my hook and throwing the line out though.
 
Watching my favourite rugby league team, the North Queensland Cowboys, going to the movies and live concerts and treasuring every second with my nieces and nephews are some of the ways I enjoy myself.
I love life but I’d be lying if I said it was easy after having a spinal cord injury. It is with the support and care of my wife, family and friends that has allowed me to achieve everything that I have since that fateful day on the 29th of August 1986.
 

The two boys in the back, my two great mates, t...

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